Gauteng mother wants Child Support Grant to match the Old Age Grant

Nthabiseng Ngozo has received the Child Support Grant for more than five years. Yet the Gauteng mother says the money still runs out before the month ends, leaving her household without food.

Ngozo shared her experience in The South African’s SASSA grant survey and asked to be named in full.

Child Support Grant runs dry before month-end

Ngozo receives R580 per child each month, paid directly into her bank account.

She rents privately and spends her grant on a mix of food, rent and other necessities. However, she said she regularly struggles to make ends meet. Her grant runs out before the month ends, and someone in her household went without food in the past month.

Rising food prices and the cost of living rank as her biggest financial concern right now.

Gauteng mother searching for domestic work

Ngozo is unemployed and actively looking for work in domestic or cleaning services. She completed some high school and can travel between five and 20 kilometres for a job.

She has never applied for additional government support because she did not know what else was available. Her biggest challenge with SASSA involves finding clear, accurate information online.

She has also experienced a late or missing grant payment, although she rates SASSA’s communication with recipients as adequate.

Mother wants Child Support Grant to match pensions

If Ngozo could change one thing about SASSA, she would increase the grant amount.

“I really wish the child grant could at least be as high as the old age grant,” Ngozo said.

The Older Person’s Grant currently pays R2 400 a month, more than four times the value of the Child Support Grant. For a household of up to five people, that gap shapes what lands on the table each day.

Her plea reflects a common theme in The South African’s SASSA survey, where caregivers say payments cannot keep pace with food prices. For mothers like Ngozo, R580 per child must cover school costs, clothing and meals in an economy where those costs keep climbing.

Despite the pressure, Ngozo continues to search for work, hoping a steady job will ease the strain the grant cannot.

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